*Questions about English*Help me Pleeeeeez

[yumyumtimtam]

Originally Posted by Columbine

はいい〜頑張れます。

頑張れます?
頑張ります?

I tried the JET programme, but I didn't get an interview.

going to try again!?

I've hear mixed things about the private eikaiwa companies. Some people really enjoyed working with them, others didn't. I have friends who live in the Kansai area, so maybe I could just go and live with them for a while. :P

Yes...there ARE some (just few? I don't know...)good private eikaiwa companies of course.

haha~ sounds fun. I've never been to Kanagawa. What's it like?

What Kanagawa is like... mmm
I don't know how to explain it in proper English... but I will try
(Can you correct it for me?)

Kanagawa is one of the prefectures in Japan and located just next to Tokyo.
There are about 9.000.000 people live there and more than 3.500.000 people are living in Yokohama the capital of Kanagawa.

There are many things here!
well... Kanagawa has... a few beautiful ports and harbors, beautiful mountains, big shopping areas, many kinds of restaurants, China Town, historical buildings, onsens and me !

I see it the other way around Here, cookies are normally bigger. This is what I think of as 'cookie' http://www.delicedefrance.co.uk/dyna...e%20Cookie.jpg and this is what I think of as a biscuit: http://fr.academic.ru/pictures/frwik...e_biscuits.jpg
If it doesn't fall apart when I dip in my tea, I count it as a biscuit!
Scones are lovely. I really like them with homemade jam.

Interesting isn't it?!

I used to get ones with miso on them. Yum!

yes! Mochi is good and Miso is great!

I love Miso soup, but I also use Miso as dressing or dipping souce.

Mm, that's probably too short, and 'micro' as a word has a meaning all of it's own. A microwave oven isn't small, so it would seem a bit weird to call it a 'micro'. I can't even think of any slang terms for microwave, except for saying something like "nuke the chicken in the microwave" instead of "cook the chicken in the microwave". '

wow..."nuke" the chicken? sounds very scary
...if I say "nuke the milk" people will know Im going to use microwave to warm the milk?

[yumyumtimtam]

Originally Posted by Klint

Yes! It would be much more strange here if someone didn't have a toaster actually. In fact, I can't recall a time seeing a kitchen without a toaster in it. People here like their sandwiches I guess.

I see...
Do they make sandwiches with toasted bread often? or not toasted ones?

That looks delicious.
Almost like a rectangular Ring Ding: http://slicedbreadtwo.com/images/uploads/ringding.jpg

Ring Ding looks yummy too and
it reminded me of this
http://www.morinaga.co.jp/angelpie/index.html
but this is not a cookie nor biscuit...it is called "angel-pie" but it's not really a pie...it's more like cake...but anyway, the best part is it has got marshmallow in it!

Actually, I can't really find many mistakes in your grammar or spelling. If I didn't know English wasn't your first language to begin with, the thought probably wouldn't even pop into my head.

wow... thank you very much for those nice words and all.
I will get much more lazier!

Me neither. I rarely have the patience to cook because usually by the time I decide to eat something, I'm practically starving and can't concentrate on gathering ingredients and cooking them. Plus, I almost always ruin what I try to cook.

That's right! I will use it as a good reason (or excuse?) when I tell people why I don't cook! Yes I am always too hungry to concentrate on cooking and also when I am not hungry... I dont feel like cooking!

I don't remember ever hearing a clear definition of the two, but to me cookies are generally sweeter than biscuits. There's actually an Italian sub shop right down the street from me that sells these giant cookies that are about a foot in diameter each.

mmm I am so confused now...
Do you have any "cookies and biscuits expart friend" or someone?!

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

頑張れます?
頑張ります?


going to try again!?

Yes...there ARE some (just few? I don't know...)good private eikaiwa companies of course.

What Kanagawa is like... mmm
I don't know how to explain it in proper English... but I will try
(Can you correct it for me?)

Kanagawa is one of the prefectures in Japan and located just next to Tokyo.
There are about 9.000.000 people live there and more than 3.500.000 people are living in Yokohama the capital of Kanagawa.

There are many things here!
well... Kanagawa has... a few beautiful ports and harbors, beautiful mountains, big shopping areas, many kinds of restaurants, China Town, historical buildings, onsens and me !

Interesting isn't it?!

yes! Mochi is good and Miso is great!

I love Miso soup, but I also use Miso as dressing or dipping souce.

wow..."nuke" the chicken? sounds very scary
...if I say "nuke the milk" people will know Im going to use microwave to warm the milk?

Oops, that was NiWrongo wasn't it~ がんばります！

I might try again, but I have to wait a whole year before I can. I'll investigate the eikaiwas in the meanwhile.

Kanagawa sounds interesting. Isn't Kamakura in Kanagawa too? I went there to see the giant buddha when the hydrangeas あじさい were flowering. It was lovely, and when the sun came out all the kites とんび appeared. o_o; they're really big.

I think people would understand if you said "I'm going to nuke the milk," but they would definitely be surprised.

[Klint]

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

I see...
Do they make sandwiches with toasted bread often? or not toasted ones?

A lot of sandwiches can be made with either toasted or untoasted bread. I guess it mostly depends on what the person making it feels like.

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

Ring Ding looks yummy too and
it reminded me of this
http://www.morinaga.co.jp/angelpie/index.html
but this is not a cookie nor biscuit...it is called "angel-pie" but it's not really a pie...it's more like cake...but anyway, the best part is it has got marshmallow in it!

Ooh... That also looks good!
I never thought it would be this fun posting links to different snack foods.
We have something similar called Pinwheels, although it only has one cookie layer on the bottom, and I think they're kind of expensive: http://unbecominglevity.blogharbor.c...pinwheel_2.jpg

If you don't mind me asking, what other kinds of snacks are there in Japan?

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

That's right! I will use it as a good reason (or excuse?) when I tell people why I don't cook! Yes I am always too hungry to concentrate on cooking and also when I am not hungry... I dont feel like cooking!

In this case, I'd use the word excuse.

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

mmm I am so confused now...
Do you have any "cookies and biscuits expart friend" or someone?!

Sorry, I'll try and re-explain. It's just difficult since the US and UK seem to have their own ambiguous definitions of cookies and biscuits...

In the US...

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5...linton2bg6.jpg - Can be called a biscuit or a roll (or dinner/bread roll).

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thum...ip-cookies.jpg - Are typically just called cookies.

http://scally.typepad.com/photos/pho...ve_biscuit.jpg - Are usually reffered to as cookies as well.

In the UK... (I'm mostly guessing here, since I've never been to England.)

The first image above would probably just be called a dinner/bread roll. The second would probably be called a cookie, but might be reffered to as a biscuit as well sometimes. The third would just be called a biscuit.

Basically, cookies and (British) biscuits are the same. Biscuits are just harder than cookies, probably so they can be dunked in a drink without dissolving so much.

I'm sorry if I caused more confusion. It's difficult trying to explain something like this... I don't think I fully understand the differences myself.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Klint

In the UK... (I'm mostly guessing here, since I've never been to England.)

The first image above would probably just be called a dinner/bread roll. The second would probably be called a cookie, but might be reffered to as a biscuit as well sometimes. The third would just be called a biscuit.

:P Nope, I'd call that first one a scone for sure. This is what I think of when I hear "bread roll" or "dinner roll" http://www.orlandparkbakery.com/imag...oll_dinner.JPG

[yumyumtimtam]

Originally Posted by Columbine

Oops, that was NiWrongo wasn't it~ がんばります！

がんばってね！
mmm...intersting
NI wrON GO!?
I like that!

btw
Are there many Wronglish in my writing?

I might try again, but I have to wait a whole year before I can. I'll investigate the eikaiwas in the meanwhile.

I see.
Did you find any eikaiwas intersted you?

Kanagawa sounds interesting. Isn't Kamakura in Kanagawa too? I went there to see the giant buddha when the hydrangeas あじさい were flowering. It was lovely, and when the sun came out all the kites とんび appeared. o_o; they're really big.

Yes Kamakura city is in kanagawa-ken!

Do you have hydrangeas in your country?
I heard that the colours of their petals are depends on the soils.
hahaha you saw とんび!

Thank you, I learnt new words!
flower as a verb
and とんび is called kites

I think people would understand if you said "I'm going to nuke the milk," but they would definitely be surprised.

good!
I want to try!but our school doesn't have a microwave...mmm
my family has one, but they are Japanese!

[yumyumtimtam]

Originally Posted by Klint

A lot of sandwiches can be made with either toasted or untoasted bread. I guess it mostly depends on what the person making it feels like.

I see.

actually I asked some of my friends if they have toasters the vertical ones, but none of them have it... and all of them called the toaster oven "Oven-toaster".
and when they say "sandwich", it usually untoasted ones.
I asked them how they called the sandwiches with toated bread, and they said they don't know but they would say トーストしたパンのサンドウィッチ~sandwiches with the toasted bread~

Do you call it "toasted sandwiches" or something?

Ooh... That also looks good!
I never thought it would be this fun posting links to different snack foods.
We have something similar called Pinwheels, although it only has one cookie layer on the bottom, and I think they're kind of expensive: http://unbecominglevity.blogharbor.c...pinwheel_2.jpg

when I clicked the web site you gave me,
all I got was this...

"This server could not verify that you are authorized to access the document requested. Either you supplied the wrong credentials (e.g., bad password), or your browser doesn't understand how to supply the credentials required."

If you don't mind me asking, what other kinds of snacks are there in Japan?

well.... there are so many kinds here!

I am also confuse about snacks, sweets, candies and all.

I thought a candy is a lolly, but when you say candy bar it could be a chocolate bars like Mars right?
What is "candy"?

candies,cookies,biscuits,chocolate,chewing gums,crisps... Are they "snacks"?
but only sweet snacks are called sweets?

well, back to Japanese snacks...

I think you will be very surprised when you come to a supermarket or a convenience store in Japan.... you will see a lot of snacks and sweets and all!

It's so hard to explain about it.

anyone who has been to Japan, or living in Japan can help me here? pleeeez!

In the US...

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5...linton2bg6.jpg - Can be called a biscuit or a roll (or dinner/bread roll).

I saw similer ones at COSTCO in Japan.
They were called Dinner rolls there.

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thum...ip-cookies.jpg - Are typically just called cookies.

looks yum!

http://scally.typepad.com/photos/pho...ve_biscuit.jpg - Are usually reffered to as cookies as well.

The company is famous in Japan too

Basically, cookies and (British) biscuits are the same. Biscuits are just harder than cookies, probably so they can be dunked in a drink without dissolving so much.

mmm how about Oreo?
I love to eat it dunked in milk!

I'm sorry if I caused more confusion. It's difficult trying to explain something like this... I don't think I fully understand the differences myself.

I am still confused (hahaha) but please don't say sorry, cos I really appreciate what you did for me.

oh, I have another question!


How do you call the containers for trash/rubbish

trash can?
rubbish bin?

[yumyumtimtam]

How many vowels in the English Alphabet?

a e i o u just 5 ?
or
a e i o u y 6?

Phonics is very difficult...
not simple... not simple at all!

ton
tone
one

these "o"s sound totally different right?!

How did you learn all the complicated rules of the phonics?
at school? or at home?

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

がんばってね！
mmm...intersting
NI wrON GO!?
I like that!

btw
Are there many Wronglish in my writing?

Hee~ it's just a silly joke I made up.
You make a few small mistakes, but often it just seems like a typo rather than an error in your english.

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

I see.
Did you find any eikaiwas that interested you?

Mmm, not yet. I've missed the AEON deadline. I need to keep looking.

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

Yes Kamakura city is in kanagawa-ken!

Do you have hydrangeas in your country?
I heard that the colours of their petals are depends on the soils.
hahaha you saw とんび!

Thank you, I learnt new words!
flower as a verb
and とんび is called kites

It's a lovely place! I really enjoyed visiting it. Too bad I could only spend a day there.
We have hydrangeas. It's true about the soil as well. My grampa used to bury old iron under his hydrangea bushes so they would always flower red. The iron makes it acidic.I have kites living near me too, but they're much smaller and shyer than the ones in Japan!

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

How many vowels in the English Alphabet?
a e i o u just 5 ?
or
a e i o u y 6?

Phonics is very difficult...
not simple... not simple at all!

ton
tone
one

these "o"s sound totally different right?!

How did you learn all the complicated rules of the phonics?
at school? or at home?

I would say that English has five vowels. In the past Y was also a vowel because it was completely interchangeable with 'I', but we don't use it like that now so much. It's now a constanant that sometimes acts like a vowel.

I grew up in a school where phonics were taught. As well as learning "ABC" as their names; "Ay bee cee" we had to learn sounds as well; "Ah, buh, kuh". We also did a lot of work on spelling and sounds. So, for example, one week would be all about words with a double o in them; "Choose, loose, moose, goose, etc" and we'd have to learn the pronunciation and the spelling. OUGH can be really difficult to learn as it has so many pronunciations. But mostly you learnt to tell by context how things are pronounced; like 'bow' and 'bow', 'bowed' and 'bowed'.
It's the same as '橋', '箸' and '端' in Japanese.

[Koir]

Originally Posted by yumyumtimtam

ton
tone
one

these "o"s sound totally different right?!

In the list, "ton" and "one" sound almost the same except "one" starts with a "w" sound (wuhn) that is not present in the correct spelling. That may be due to the initial vowel sound needing a similiar-sounding consonant sound to be spoken properly. Of course, this is not a strict rule in English as I can think of words starting with "u" (unknown, unseen, other words starting with the "un" prefix) that do not need this consonant sound.

How did you learn all the complicated rules of the phonics?
at school? or at home?

Both those places as well as immersion in other social situations, along with years of experience. Outside classroom settings they were presented not as rules but as accepted ways of speaking and expression.